


A String of Girls

by seasalt (lawboy)



Series: MysteryPearl Two-Part Series [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, pearl doesn’t really date anyone in this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-15 21:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21025226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawboy/pseuds/seasalt
Summary: Nine times Pearl got a woman's number— and the one time she finally texted one.





	A String of Girls

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a quick little fic based off the nine phone numbers Pearl has in A Single Pale Rose. She doesn’t get all of them for romantic reasons so if that’ll be very disappointing to you you might not like this fic :p

**i. Blue Scrap, "[Indiscernible]"**

Pearl stood in the checkout line, tapping her foot impatiently. It was always up to her to do the grocery shopping— well, no, that wasn't quite right. She was sure someone else would do it if she asked nicely. She just didn't trust them to do it as well as her.

Scanning the items in her basket, she ticked off the checklist in her head. Poptarts, chocolate syrup, frozen fishfingers— and canned spinach, for nutrition. No one could say she didn't value Steven's health. Between that and all the vegetables he got from pizza and fry bits, she was sure he was getting a healthy, balanced diet.

Okay. She wasn't that sure. The intricacies of human nutritional needs still escaped her; Amethyst had said it was fine, though, and she knew tons about eating.

"Birthday party?" The woman behind her asked.

She turned, confusion plain on her face.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh. Just-" She shifted uncomfortably, hitching her bag strap on her shoulder. Dark strands of hair fell over her eyes. "Sorry. Just assumed, from what you're buying."

Pearl looked down at her items. Birthday party— Steven had taught her about that. That was when humans did unconventional things, right? Was Steven's diet unconventional? Was she doing this wrong?

"What are you buying?" She asked, swallowing down her worries.

"Uh? Diced tomatoes, carrots, frozen peas, pasta..." the woman read off a paper list, "...and instant brownie mix." She laughed. "My naughty treat for the week."

Pearl smiled. It faded from her lips when she remembered her own shopping list.

"I think I've got nothing but 'naughty treats'." She said with a sigh. She smiled ruefully at the other woman. "I don't think I understand the human diet. It's been twelve years, but it feels like I'm still learning how to feed a child."

The woman laughed. She brushed her hair from her face, revealing sky-blue eyes that glittered in the store's fluorescent lights. "I think all mothers feel like that sometimes."

The frontmost customer left, and they stepped forward. Pearl's turn was almost up. She considered her basket again, wondering now if she should swap some of her items for fruits and vegetables.

"If you want, I could help you with meal plans." The woman said. "I know we just met, but..." She shrugged. "I'm always glad to help a fellow parent out. It takes a village, right?"

Pearl didn't understand the idiom, but nodded.

"That's very kind of you." She reached the front of the line, and with some embarrassment began to unload her things. "I really feel alone in trying to raise my- my son responsibly sometimes."

"Oh," the woman tilted her head, flashing her a look of sympathy, "is his dad out of the picture?"

"Um. He doesn't live with us."

"I'm sorry. That's rough."

Pearl dropped her basket in a stack of others, shrugging and flashing the woman a consoling smile. "We manage. I'm not raising him alone, it's just..." she laughed, "none of us have any clue what we're doing. Sometimes I'm surprised our Steven's grown up so well."

The woman chuckled.

"Amen to that."

As she finished up her transaction, paying with money from her pouch (humans seemed to get unnerved when she pulled things out of her gem), she heard the scratchy sound of pen on paper. She turned, and the other woman slid a piece of paper into her palm. It seemed to be torn from her shopping list.

"Here's my number. Message me anytime, I'd love to talk to you again." She smiled. "You seem nice. I don't get to talk to people a lot, so thanks for indulging me."

Pearl studied the paper quizzically; on it was the word 'Lucy' and a long number.

"Thank you." She said, tucking it into her pouch.

She gathered her things in her arms, said goodbye, and left. Outside, around the corner from the supermarket, she'd beam her shopping into her gem, along with her pouch and the slip of paper. She'd remind herself to bring it up to Steven when he got home, find out what the 'number' was and what to do with it— and she'd forget, mind focused on a million other things. Like finally reading a child nutrition book, for one.

**ii. Pink Scrap, "301-555-0113 ♡♡"**

It was a few months later— the hottest point of summer, when the sun beat down so hard on the Earth that it made the black rock of the road steam and liquefy. Even for the Gems, who were resilient to extreme temperatures, it was getting uncomfortable.

"Let's go to the pool today!" Steven announced, through a mouthful of cereal. He swallowed, wiping his face with an arm before continuing. "They just reopened it after fixing the damage from the squid-monster!"

"Steven, we live right on the beach." Pearl said, wiping the counters. She caught a drip of milk near his bowl.

"Yeah, and won't the pool be, like, super crowded?" Amethyst added. She was sitting on the counter, and despite a nudge from Pearl didn't bother to move.

"It'll be fun though!" Steven insisted, waving his spoon. "We've _never_ been to the pool together before, and Connie said her parents were taking her!"

"Steven's right." Said Garnet, who was leaning against the fridge. There was a pause, but she didn't elaborate.

Pearl dropped the sponge in the sink and sighed, watching Steven flick another spatter of milk on the bench as he finished his breakfast. "Well, if your friend will be there..."

"There'll be an inflatable obstacle course too!" Steven said, and that got Amethyst's attention.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" She switched her clothes into a bathing suit, jumping down. "Move your butt, Steven, we need to go own that thing!"

"Alright!" Steven laughed, quickly scraping up the last of his breakfast before running to his room to pack his things.

Pearl began to scrub the mess he'd left. Then Garnet placed a hand on her arm.

"Leave it for later. Let's go have fun."

"But it'll _congeal_-"

"Trust me." Garnet smiled cryptically. "It'll be better to leave sooner."

They walked to the car-wash, closed for the day. Greg was escaping the heat by lounging in his van, picking idly at his guitar.

"Dad! Dad! We need to go to the pool!" Steven yelled, feet thudding against the pavement. He leapt into the back of the van, crashing into Greg and hugging him tight.

"Woah, what's the rush?" Greg laughed. He glanced up, looking between the Gems with a little uncertainty. "Oh, hey guys."

"We need to leave right away." Garnet said, adjusting her glasses with a finger. She smirked again, turning slightly to Pearl. "Matter of urgency."

"Is there a monster attack or something?" Greg asked, placing down his guitar and clambering out.

"Not a _monster_," she grinned, "but something important."

It seemed Garnet was intent on being confusing.

"Okay, well, hop in." He smiled down at Steven, ruffling his hair. "Guess it's Family Pool Day."

Pearl knew enough to know that wasn't a thing.

They pulled into the parking lot. As expected, it was incredibly crowded— they'd been lucky to get the last free spot, conveniently somewhere shady. Had that been what Garnet had foreseen? Not having to park down the street?

No, it had to be something bigger.

"Four adults' and one kid's." Greg told the teller at the entrance booth.

He paid, and they all passed through the gate to the swimming centre. It was fairly small, compared to some other towns': just one large pool, cordoned into lanes, and a couple of shallow ones under a shade-cloth, for the small children. Steven wasted no time in throwing off his t-shirt and sandals, skipping carefully around the pool's edge to find his friend Connie. Pearl was about to call him back to put on sunscreen; she stopped, jumping, when Garnet slapped a hand on her shoulder.

"He won't get sunburnt. Just go swim." She'd already changed into a bathing suit, glasses still on but now seeming much more in-place. "I recommend the leftmost lane."

Pearl stared at her, confusion knitting her brow, but nodded. Whatever it was, it had something to do with what Garnet had been hinting at all day. Maybe she'd learn something useful, overhear some humans discuss a strange artefact or creature they'd discovered somewhere.

_Or maybe,_ she thought, as she swum her fifth lap, _she just wanted me to get out of Steven's hair._

Stopping at the end of the lane, she turned underwater, completing a full flip before bobbing to the surface. She flicked her wet hair back, resting her forearms against the edge of the pool and staring ahead into the grass. It was spattered with drops of poolwater, glimmering rainbow in the sunlight. Everything seemed much more saturated that day.

"'Scuse me." A voice above her said, and she started, torn out of her reverie. She sunk into the water, embarrassed.

"Sorry."

The woman standing over her smiled, shrugging good-naturedly before crouching down to lower herself into the water. She dipped entirely below the surface before coming up, gasping, tan hands brushing her gold-brown hair from her eyes.

"All good. You come here often?"

"This is my first time actually." Pearl kicked her legs, moving back a few inches. "It's awfully crowded."

The woman laughed. "Well, it _is_ forty degrees." She turned, grabbing the rim of the pool-wall and pressing her feet against it, in a sideways crouch. "You're a really good swimmer by the way. I was watching you while sun-screening, you're super graceful. What stroke do you do?"

"Uh-" Pearl flushed at the compliment. "I- I don't know. I think I just- mash a few different ones together."

The woman laughed again, tossing her head back so her crown dipped into the water.

"That's cute. You're cute." She winked at her. "I'm Danni, by the way. Catch you on the flip side?"

Before Pearl could respond, she pushed off, propelling herself across the pool with strong, precise kicks of her muscular legs. Pearl tore her eyes away, face totally blue, and launched herself into another lap.

_Sneaky, Garnet. Very sneaky._

When the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky— 4PM, according to the pool's giant clock —Greg suggested they head home.

"Aw, five more minutes!" Steven whined, even as he begrudgingly dragged himself up the pool ladder. The curls of his hair were matted with water, and— Pearl was glad to note —despite the heat-induced flush on his face, he indeed wasn't sunburnt.

"We'll have to leave sometime, schtuball." Greg laughed, holding out a towel for his son. "Otherwise we'll be buying dinner here, and lunch was expensive enough."

"Plus, they already packed up the awesome floatie thing." Said Amethyst. A cheeky grin rose on her face. "C'mon, if you get changed fast enough, we can go get ice-cream."

"Amethyst!" Pearl spluttered. "He already had sweets!"

"So?"

"You should go get them ice-cream, Pearl." Garnet butted in. That cryptic smile again. She drew a few banknotes from her gem, pressing them into her hand.

Pearl stared at her, then left without a word. Behind her, she heard Amethyst laugh ("Alright, Garnet!") and give Steven a high-five. Stepping into line at the counter, she rubbed the plastic notes against her damp fingers, considering the menu-board in some attempt to determine the most healthy option. The yellow one was banana-flavoured, that had to mean it was healthy, right..?

"Hi again." Said a voice behind her, amused.

She turned, face-to-face once again with Danni.

"Post-workout treat?"

"Oh, no, I'm getting sweets for someone else." She replied, grinning nervously. Danni was a good two heads taller than her.

"Nice one. What're you buying?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Danni smiled, brushing her hair behind an ear and pointing towards the menu. "I really like the CherriBombs. So that's my recommendation."

Pearl glanced where she pointed, stumbling forward in surprise when she realised she was at the front of the queue. "CherriBombs it is." She said, slapping her money on the counter.

When she retrieved the two ice-creams (incredibly aware that the others were now waiting nearby, watching her), she took one in each hand and turned hurriedly to leave.

"Hang on a tick!" Called Danni from behind her.

Pearl turned; from her bag, she dug out a scrap of pink paper and a pen, scribbling something down.

"Here." She held it out to her, grin lopsided and lazy. "If you ever want to swim together again."

Pearl moved one ice-cream to her left hand, then took the paper in her right. Looking down, she saw a number— '301-555-0113' —and two red hearts, underneath that.

"Thanks." She smiled, a little confused, and beamed it into her gem. Danni gaped, and self-consciously she remembered that not all humans were used to Gem powers. Ducking her head, she threw a "See you" her way, spinning on her heel and rushing over to the others, a blush creeping up her face.

"Had a good time at the counter?" Amethyst asked, grinning slyly.

"Just eat your ice-cream." Pearl huffed.

She caught Garnet's gaze as they left the pool. Even through her glasses, she could tell she was proud of herself.

It was too bad that, once they got home, they had to contend with a Gem monster— and once again, Pearl forgot all about the scrap of paper in her gem.

**iii. Notepad Page, "RH 240 555-0121 THANKS!"**

It was 12:25AM, cool and drizzly. A mist hung over the road, clouding the beams of light that shone from streetlamps, traffic lights, the moon. Pearl tapped her fingers on the steering wheel of Greg's van, humming a tune— she hadn't exactly asked to borrow the vehicle, but he _had_ lied about his broken leg to stay at their place. Was still at their place, in fact, for "just one more night". It was only fair, she'd reasoned, that if he was taking up their space, she could take up his.

Besides, she needed a night like this. Alone in the dark, nothing but the buzz of the radio and the flickered eyelets of raindrops on the windows to accompany her. Everything had been so intense lately— first that whole drama with Amethyst's gem crack, then Lapis Lazuli-

She shuddered, pushing it out of her mind. Switched the radio from static to the closest station, and twisted the volume knob all the way to the right. Yeah, she really needed this.

As some thrashy rock song set her whole form buzzing, she sighed, relaxing in her seat, and took one hand off the wheel to rest her elbow on the windowsill. The herd of brightly-lit storefronts to her right was beginning to thin out, replaced by empty fields. Pearl turned onto a fork to escape the other late-night traffic.

That was when she saw them: just a shadowy reflection in the distance, a hunched figure by a tree, too far from any light-source to be distinguishable. They were waving an arm frantically, and as Pearl slowed down they began to run towards her. As they passed through the halo of a streetlamp, Pearl realised it was a woman.

"Hey!" Her voice was muffled through the glass, but obviously strained and desperate. "Hey, hey, please stop the car!"

Against her better judgement, she did. The woman stopped beside her window, grateful grin on her face and mascara streaking her cheeks— it was enough to make Pearl forget all the horror stories she'd heard about hitchhikers. Not that she wouldn't be able to defend herself against a human.

"Are you alright?" She called out, rolling down the window.

The woman leant through. Her short dark hair was in strings, stuck against her cheeks and neck.

"Not really." A bitter laugh. "I got into a fight with my- partner. They ditched me on the side of the road without my bag. I've been standing there for hours." Her voice was croaky and raw, like she was on the verge of tears.

If Pearl had human organs, she was sure her heart would've panged with sympathy. She smiled at the woman, pulling up the door lock then gesturing with a thumb.

"Want a ride home? I'm not going anywhere in particular."

The girl sighed. "That'd be amazing."

She was curled up in the back seat now, one towel wrapped around her shoulders and another one over her hair. Pearl drove back the way she came, following her— Rebecca's —directions.

When she spotted a convenience store ahead, she asked without thinking "Do you want a food or drink?"

"Really?" Rebecca's mouth fell into an 'o', brows raised. "Yeah, that'd be great! I don't have my wallet-"

"I'll cover it. You've had a rough night."

She pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine. Rain was still pounding down outside; while Rebecca was distracted shedding her towels, she drew a couple umbrellas from her gem, passing one back.

"You're seriously the nicest person I've interacted with in months." She said, as they headed inside. Pearl just laughed.

The warmth and light inside the store would've been unwelcome, just a half-hour ago— but now, Pearl relished in it. The calm it seemed to bring to Rebecca passed subconsciously to her; as she fixed herself a coffee at the self-serve stand, Pearl felt herself wanting one too, despite her revulsion toward drinking. Natural habit, it seemed, around this stranger, to mimick her.

"Do you want doughnuts?" She asked, indicating the hot-food cabinet. All humans seemed to like doughnuts.

"For dinner?" Rebecca laughed, but tilted her head, eyes sincere. "What the hell. I deserve it."

The last few miles to her house were spent in comfortable silence. Rebecca ate, and drank, and Pearl ignored that niggling feeling of revulsion in the back of her throat. Even while making those awful chewing sounds, Rebecca still seemed- Charming?

_Beautiful,_ was the word she wanted. She shook her head, and laughed at herself. Rebecca shot her a quizzical look.

"It's nothing." She answered, to an unspoken question. "Oh, midnight makes everything a little silly, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." She replied. She gave Pearl a half-lidded smile.

When their journey finally ended, it was with a twinge of regret that Rebecca rose from her seat. The rain had stopped outside, and she was a little less damp— Pearl hoped she wouldn't catch a cold.

"Thank you." She said, incredibly warm, fingers on the door-handle. "You really made my night."

Pearl shrugged. "It was no trouble."

Rebecca pulled a notepad from the inner pocket of her jacket, scribbled something down with a pen. Hastily, she shoved it towards her, slightly crumpled.

"I'd like to see you again." She said, words tumbling from her throat. Her face was burning dark. "I think I'm single now."

Pearl took the note, smiling at her.

"If you ever get stuck on the side of the road again, I'll come find you."

Rebecca laughed, and was gone. Pearl looked at the note, warming with delight at the one bit she understood: 'THANKS!'

She tucked it away into her gem, a memento of an unexpectedly good night.

**iv. Pink Scrap, "...555 [Indiscernible]"**

It'd seemed a silly idea, when Steven first suggested it: building a spaceship, just her and two humans, out of whatever garbage they could find. Even back on Homeworld, they'd used whole teams of Peridots for that kind of job. But now that she'd gotten into it, now that she really, honestly believed it was possible— it wasn't ridiculous at all. Scanning the shelves of the hardware store, Pearl was utterly single-minded, equations and schematics whizzing through her mind so fast that she was blind to her peripherals. Or, she was, until she walked smack into someone.

"Oh, sorry!" She called out, tearing her eyes from the shelves. The woman in front of her turned, smiling good-naturedly.

"No harm done. Lot on your mind?"

"Yes!" She normally wouldn't trust a human to understand more advanced ideas, but her enthusiasm was so strong that she could rant to just about anyone. She clenched her fists in front of her, rising proudly on her toes. "I'm building a spaceship!"

The woman chuckled, folding her thick, dark arms. She looked so similar to her old friend, Bismuth— Pearl pushed down the lump in her throat,not eager to awaken old wounds.

"A spaceship, huh? You got kids?"

"Just one." Pearl smiled; this human seemed to have good intuition. "He wanted to take me to see the cosmos. I'm afraid he doesn't know much about astronautics, though," she laughed, "so I've taken over the project."

"How nice," the other woman grinned, tilting her head, "not a lot of parents go out of their way like that. Me, I'm building a pirate ship for the backyard. My boys love their pirates right now."

"Oh, you're a shipwright?"

"I guess I am!" She laughed.

Her phone pinged, and she glanced down at it.

"Ope, that's my husband. Asking when I'm getting home." She glanced at Pearl, dark eyes affable. "I'll let you get back to your project. How old's your son, by the way?"

Pearl had to think for a second. "Thirteen."

"Oh! Same as my oldest." She grinned. "Maybe our little adventurers should get together sometime for a playdate. Whaddaya say?"

Pearl nodded, flashing her a smile. It'd be nice for Steven to have more friends his age. She knew life at the temple could be... isolating.

"Awesome." The woman pulled a diary and pen from her handbag, scribbling something on a page corner that she then tore off and passed to her. "I'm always on the lookout for other parents to network with. My husband says I'm _too_ outgoing, sometimes," she shrugged good-humouredly, "but it gets lonely being parents. Anyway, give me a ring anytime. Would love to hear from you when your spaceship's done."

Pearl took the paper, glancing at it— another number-string, and the words "Camille from the hardware store".

"Thank you, Camille." She replied, even as confusion seeped through her. Was this some strange human game, with the numbers? And why did she want a ring? She already had one. "I'm afraid I'll be in space for a while once the ship's complete, but I'll... 'give you a ring' after that."

"Alrighty." Camille grabbed some sheet metal from the rack, shoving it into her trolley and heading off with a wave. "Have fun in space!"

Pearl smiled after her, befuddled. Were humans always so blasé about interstellar travel?

**v. Blue Card, "240-555-0103 [Lipstick]"**

Pearl was at a club.

Pearl was at a _club_.

It'd been centuries since she'd gone to any kind of human dance-gathering, and what she'd last experienced was _nothing_ like this. The music was all bass, all digital sound— everyone was packed together, writhing, and it was all far too much-

She escaped to a corner for air. Amethyst had dragged her and Garnet out here ("Girl's Night", she'd called it, because Steven was with his father) but now the two of them were nowhere to be seen. Even Garnet, who stood a good two feet taller than the average human, couldn't be spotted in the crowd.

Sinking against the cool, scratchy wall, she ran a hand through her hair. She'd gotten dressed up in some ridiculous garment Amethyst had showed her on her phone, all plastic and netting— she wasn't out of place here, but she felt so... exposed. She kept an arm crossed over her chest and hunched inwards, wishing desperately that they'd taken _her_ suggestion and just stayed home to watch movies.

"You crowd-shy, gorgeous?"

Pearl flinched when she realised the scratchy voice was directed at her. Turning her head, she came face-to-face with a much taller, younger girl; white-haired and smoky-eyed, she stood, smirking, bare arms folded. Her dress was so short Pearl had thought at first it was a t-shirt.

"I'm not a club person, I don't think." She replied, attempting to sound dismissive but choking on nerves. Her voice cracked on the last words.

"Yeah? You wanna go somewhere else?" She leant in— she smelt like alcohol. Giving Pearl a once-over, she chuckled, reaching a hand for her gem. "What's this, a sticker?"

"It's part of my body." She said, stepping back. "And I'm here with friends, so I can't go anywhere."

"Shame." The girl drawled. She flicked her hair over her shoulder. "You're the prettiest girl here. I was really hoping to see more of you." Her voice took a low, seductive tone, and Pearl blushed despite herself.

Was it wrong to be kind of enjoying this attention?

She met her gaze— it was heavy-lidded, pupils wide —and offered her a sultry look of her own.

"What 'more of me' were you thinking?"

"Oh, bit of everything." They were leaning close now, and Pearl knew she was totally blue. "I'd love to tear those fishnets off you, first of all."

Her cheeks were burning. No one had spoken to her, looked at her, like this since-

Oh, that reminder of Rose just ruined it. She turned her head away, chewing her cheek.

"I can't. I'm sorry." She twisted her fingers, grimacing. "I'm still getting over someone."

The woman leant back, a troubled look sweeping her face.

"Ah."

"I- I wish I was ready for- something new-" She choked, bit her tongue. What was she saying? She could never be ready. For another Gem, or a human— for anyone that wasn't Rose.

"Hey, it's cool." The girl replied, surprisingly sweet. "In the future?"

"Yes. Maybe."

"Awesome." She dug into a satchel at her hip, pulled out a card and— on a whim, it seemed —kissed it before handing it over. "Here. For when you're ready." She raised her eyebrows, grinning. "Meant what I said about the fishnets."

Pearl darkened, looking down at the card. Another number, and the imprint of her lips.

"Thank you." She replied, stowing it away in a pocket. She might never be able to move on from Rose— not in this girl's lifetime, at least —but the card could always serve as a memento of the one time she tried.

**vi. Yellow Sticky Note, "Vera ...555 0143"**

Winter was hitting Beach City hard this year. Two weeks into autumn, the first snow had come— and now, barely days into December, meteorologists were already warning of blizzards. Garnet had confirmed their predictions as the most likely future, so there they all were, at the shops, stocking up on emergency supplies.

Some of them were taking it more seriously than others.

"We _need_ Flaming Hot Nachos." Amethyst insisted, scooping several bags off the shelf. "They warm your guts, it's like eating a fire."

"Amethyst, _please_." Pearl said through gritted teeth. "We have a limited budget, and those are four dollars a bag."

"Well chuck out the coal then. It doesn't even taste that good."

Pearl looked to Garnet for backup, but was just met with a shrug.

"I foresee a lost fifty on the ground in twelve feet. Let her get the snacks."

"Alright! Go Garnet!"

Pearl just groaned, and muttered "You shouldn't indulge her."

"If we're getting snacks, can we grab Poptarts too?" Steven piped up.

"Steven-"

"Go grab 'em." Garnet interrupted. Bending down, she picked up a fifty-dollar note off the ground.

"Shouldn't we hand that in to a worker?" She asked.

Garnet shrugged. "No one will come get it."

Shaking her head, Pearl checked the last item on their list: ibuprofen. She couldn't remember the last time they'd had to buy it— the news had said it could soothe mild frostbite, though, so for Steven's sake she'd added it to the list.

For the life of her, though, she couldn't remember where to find it.

"Excuse me." She called to a store-worker, splitting from the group. "Do you know where I could find ibuprofen?"

Pearl had gotten more used to talking with humans, and was comfortable enough now to start conversations with them. It was something she was secretly proud of— something some vain part of her hoped the others'd noticed.

"It's in aisle three." The worker replied, turning to face her then starting in obvious surprise. Gathering herself, she folded her arms, mouth opening and closing for a second before she found her voice. "Uh- Would you like me to show you?"

"That'd be lovely-" Pearl glanced at her name-tag, "-Vera."

She indicated to the others that she was heading off (to her discontent, they seemed to be stuck in debate between three different flavours of Poptart). Then, following Vera, she left for aisle three.

"Was there anything else you needed?"

Pearl clutched the packet of pills in her hand. She almost said no, but then she glanced back at the shelf of medicines— oh so many different kinds. And they had money to burn now, and one never knew what Steven could need...

"We're preparing for a blizzard." She said. "Do you think anything here is essential?"

Vera's shoulders sunk in- relief?

"I'd get some cold-and-flu tablets," she said, reaching for a packet, "and maybe these? For hydration, if you get a stomach bug." She paused, considering the shelves, then turned to Pearl and blurted out "Are you single?"

Pearl stared at her, eyebrows raised.

"Huh?"

"I mean-" She slapped a palm to her face, bumping her glasses. "Sorry. Geez. That was so unprofessional. It's just- you're really cute, and I don't even know if you like girls, or if you even accept gay people, and oh my God I should stop rambling..."

Pearl blinked at her, realisation dawning, then laughed.

"Wow, I'm flattered." She looked down at her hands, then back at Vera. "Um, yes. Is the answer to your question. And... if you'd like to..."

She was getting tongue-tied. Flustered. Her palms were sweating— how did she think she could do this? It was only the second time a human had hit on her since Rose's death; she'd convinced herself she was ready, but now-

Vera was writing something— with dread, Pearl realised it was probably another one of those cryptic codes. She stuck it to the packet of cold-and-flu tablets, and handed the whole thing over. Yep, a number and her name.

"I don't know if there'll be service during the storm, but if you get any bars contact me." A call for workers at the desk blared over the loudspeakers, and she turned around. "Oh, geez, I should go."

"Wait-"

"Sorry," Vera was stumbling away already, "my boss will be mad if I don't hurry over."

And she was gone. Pearl stared down at the stupid, infuriating paper.

Maybe she'd changed her mind. Maybe this was her way of dismissing her.

**vii. Yellow Hole-Punched Scrap, "DON'T FORGET! 240 555 01111! [Indiscernible]@gmail"**

Pearl had forgotten about all her other papers by the time she received the next one. It'd been nearly half a year, and so much had happened since to distract her. And now that she'd taken on her latest pet project— teaching Steven's little friend to swordfight —her mind was busier than ever.

On top of that, there were her lingering worries about the Homeworld Gems. Peridot had disappeared to stars-knew-where, and Malachite— well, they still hadn't found Malachite. Not for lack of searching.

She sighed, stepping through the doors of Fish Stew Pizza and trudging to the counter. If Gems could get tired, she was sure this was what it'd feel like. At least she'd have an hour free tonight, before Steven went to bed— then it'd be straight back underwater with her.

She was beginning to hate the seaside.

"What can I get ya?" Jenny asked, sporting a grin.

Pearl just slid her order request, scrawled on a piece of lined paper, across the counter. "This, thanks."

"Coming right up. Go grab a seat if you want, you look wrecked."

She smiled wryly, taking her up on her offer.

As she sat, drumming her fingertips on the tabletop, she noticed the next customer looking at her. Short, tan, and curly-haired, with a flat nose and bright, spike-studded clothing: she seemed young, and rebellious. Once she'd made her order she took something from Jenny, then sidled over to her.

"Hey. Love your hair. Where you from?"

Pearl blinked. "Um. I live nearby."

"Really?" Her grin was lopsided, and full of crooked teeth. "Don't think I've seen you around. You go to Delmarva State?"

"Huh? The college?" Her mind was running three paces too slow today.

"Yeah." The girl helped herself to a seat across from her. "I study music there. Play guitar. I'm in a band, actually."

"Oh?" She offered. Part of her prayed Jenny would call her order soon— she was far too tired to converse.

"Yeahhh." The girl whipped out her phone, turning it to show off a photo. "This is us, Glitter Guillotine. We're a queercore punk group. I figured that'd be right up your alley."

Pearl had no idea what she was talking about.

"Anyway," she took a pencil from her mane of hair, scribbling on a scrap of paper— the corner of her order list, she realised, "we're putting on a show at my friend Tha's place next month. Bring your girlfriend." She winked, slid the note over.

Pearl raised it to her face between two fingers, eyes too bleary to focus on the chunky scrawl. Two strange codes, and the ominous phrased "DON'T FORGET!"

"Thank you," she muttered numbly, "I won't forget."

Jenny called for her then and she rose, giving the other woman a tired wave before stumbling off. The note went into her gem with the pizzas, and promptly slipped from her mind.

**viii. White Folded Paper, "Call me! ...0107"**

Garnet had left on a cold note, hardly a glance toward Pearl as she slammed the screen door shut and leapt from the balcony to the sand below. Pearl stood a foot away from the window now, peeking out through the curtains. Cold, sinking disquiet seized her chest; she sunk her fingers into her arms, bolted to the spot.

Amethyst sighed behind her.

"Okay, she's gone now. You can stop freaking out."

"I'm horrible." Pearl muttered.

"Yeah. You screwed up." Footsteps behind her— she slapped a hand on her back. "Whatever, P. You gonna mope around the whole time they're out roadtripping?" Pearl said nothing, and she sighed again. "Seriously. You've barely even talked to me since- that whole mess. I don't know about you, but I don't really feel like sitting around awkwardly all night. Again."

She guided Pearl to the couch, pulling her firmly to a seat. Pearl stared down at her hands, balling them up, before whipping round to give her a teary look.

"What do I do? She'll never forgive me, right? I don't know what I should-"

"Pearl." Amethyst glared. "She's. Not. Here. Just forget about it for one night, would ya?"

She slumped back in her seat, folding her arms. Pearl stared at her, then turned away hastily to wipe tears off her cheeks. She sniffed, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to pull herself together.

The squeak of springs beside her— Amethyst jumped to her feet.

"Let's hit the town tonight." She suddenly decided, cocky and upbeat. Pearl looked up— from her smile, she knew she was putting up a front. "You and me, P: Girl's Night 2, Single Chicks Only Edition!"

"Eughh..."

"Come onnn." She tilted her head with a frown. Then reconsidered. "Actually, you don't get a choice. We're going out whether you like it or not."

And that was how they ended up in a taxi, at 8PM, cruising down the highway towards Ocean Town. Their driver had seemed incredibly confused, at first, by their appearances— but it was surprising how much humans could shrug off. Hardly anyone seemed to comment on their huge, prominent gems, for instance.

"Isn't this great?" Amethyst shouted, hanging her head out the window. "No one even knows who we are out here, we can go totally wild tonight!"

Pearl stared straight ahead, fidgeting with her ribbon. It was a crisp night, for summer, and the breeze rushing past the window was sending her hair flying. She brushed it from her eyes futilely, and turned to focus on the lights rushing by outside.

"It's something."

Amethyst faltered, leaning in. Her hair was a tangled mess. She could've righted it in a second, but she didn't.

"Cheer up, P." She put a hand over hers, and when Pearl met her gaze it was sincere. "Try to have a good time tonight. Okay?"

Pearl looked down at her lap, placed her free hand over Amethyst's, then gave her a weary smile.

"I'll try."

They got out at a bar— 'The Siren's Den', as the sign called it. It seemed a little crowded from the outside, but was thankfully free of the loud thumping music that seemed to emanate from most nightlife locales. It was like Amethyst had actually tried to pick out something they'd both like.

"This is a _lot_ more low-key than some other spots I go to." She reassured her as they passed through the door. Thankfully, there were no guards— so no need for fake IDs. "It's pretty chill, you meet a lot of nice people here. Just stick by me if it gets a bit... you know." She rolled a hand. "Overwhelming."

Pearl nodded, squeezing her hand in appreciation. They headed for a back corner, where a crowd of people were playing some tabletop sport. More were gathered round behind them, sloshing drinks as they cheered and chattered with spirit.

"Do you want a- Oh. Nevermind." They took a seat in a booth. Amethyst grabbed the menu from the table and tossed it aside. Drawing her phone from her gem, she checked its screen for a second, before shoving it back. "My friend's supposed to come hang with us. She'll be here in a bit, so we can just chill 'til then."

Pearl blanched. "You invited _someone else?"_

"Hey, she's nice!" Amethyst raised her hands in protest. Dropping them down, she leant forward on the table. "I met her, like, a year or two ago. She just moved here from interstate and she doesn't know anyone. I figured it'd be cool to try and get both of you more friends." She shrugged, glancing down. She didn't seem to want to address the elephant in the room— that this human stranger would be filling Garnet's absence.

Pearl studied her nails, all of a sudden feeling more alien than she had in decades. It would be embarrassing to ditch this event so quickly, but in that moment nothing seemed better to her than going home and curling up inside the linen closet to cry.

Amethyst let her know she was getting a drink, and left. Left her alone, in a strange place, with strange people, and nothing to focus on but her own miserable shortcomings-

"Hey, um, are you Amethyst's friend?"

She jerked her head up off the table, embarrassed. "I... I am." Adjusting her dishevelled hair, she added "Who's asking?"

"Oh. Talita Alves."

Talita awkwardly took a seat across from her. She glanced around, spotting Amethyst, then looked back at Pearl, who was desperately avoiding eye contact.

"So... are you a space alien too?"

"Wha-" Pearl started, shocked, then shook her head at herself. She should've been more used to Amethyst's friends knowing about Gems— not that any of them tried to keep it a secret, exactly, but Amethyst in particular seemed to love to flaunt it. "Um, yes. I am a... 'space alien'."

"Okay. Cool." She bobbed her head in some kind of cruisy, overdone nod, repeating the action for far too long. "Cool."

Things grew silent between them again. Pearl glanced desperately at Amethyst— she was still waiting —then back at Talita, struggling for a conversation topic.

"Um..." she began. Talita looked at her, and she flicked her gaze to the table self-consciously. "Do you... have a career?"

Talita shot her a strange look. "Yep. I'm a dentist."

"Wow, what does that involve?"

"Uh... teeth. Fixing teeth." Her gaze was beginning to drift to her phone.

Pearl sighed, shooting Amethyst a frustrated look. _This_ was supposed to be fun? Getting stuck entertaining some stranger while she disappeared into a crowd?

"Really wish she'd hurry up, huh?" Talita commented, glancing at her sardonically before typing something out on her screen.

She nodded, clasped her hands together and swallowed. Talita kept typing.

_Something about me? Is she complaining about me to one of her friends- or the internet page-_

She worried at her lip, chest tight with anxiety. The growing tension between them heightened with every passing second; could Pearl not talk? Did she have nothing to say? Ten thousand years of existence and not one good idea to share?

It was then that Amethyst returned to the table, coke in one hand and basket of fries in the other.

"I got snacks!" She plonked into her seat. "How you guys getting along?"

"Yeah, good." Talita flashed a strained grin. "Your friend's _really_ interesting, Ames! Just, you know, maybe the two of us..." she gestured between them, pulling a face and shrugging her shoulders. "But thanks for trying to set me up, anyway!"

"Aw, c'mon Lita, you like just showed up!" Amethyst groaned. "Pearl's just shy, but she's cool deep down! And you guys have a lot in common! Like you're both stressed and uptight-"

"Yeah, no." She pushed past her out of the booth, gathering her purse in one hand and coat in the other. "I'm cool to stay and hang out as friends, but I'm _not_ doing this whole 'date' thing."

"Excuse me, what?" Pearl interjected, shooting a glare at Amethyst. "'Date'?"

"...Okay, so it wasn't my best idea." Amethyst rolled her eyes, then, as an afterthought, shoved some fries in her mouth. "Whatever." Swallowing, she grabbed both their hands, eyes darting between them. "Look. Let's just hang out tonight. Maybe you'll have fun together. You won't know unless you try, right?"

Pearl and Talita locked eyes. Gave each other the resigned, subtle look that all friends of Amethyst knew to make.

"Fine." They said in unison.

Once they'd gotten into the night, Pearl'd found, things weren't so bad. Talita unwound after a few drinks, and they _talked_, really, a proper conversation. She was alright— definitely not someone Pearl wanted to date, though.

She was still a little incensed at the suggestion.

"Why did you think this would be a good idea?" She muttered to Amethyst. They were on the back porch, the smoking area, while Talita was in the bathroom. It was a simple, rustic little place: wooden deck, brick walls strung with lights, and a translucent shadecloth blocking out the moon.

Amethyst shrugged. "I don't know. It was crazy." She leant her chin on the railing, arms folded underneath. "Honestly, I was just desperate to get you out of your slump. And it kinda worked, right?"

Pearl stared ahead, into the dark stretch of hedge cordoning off the lot. "I don't really know."

Just the reminder of what she'd done sent her stomach into twists.

"I really am trying, Amethyst-"

"I know! You're doing great."

"But I feel like such a failure!" She clasped a hand to her mouth, then let it slip. Decided, while they had this time alone, that she might as well share what she'd kept hidden.

"I've- I've tried to start relationships with humans before," she said quietly, stumbling over each word, "but it's never worked. I don't think I _can_. I think I'm just- too awkward. And selfish, and strange, and stuck in the past." She sighed, lowering her gaze to her bare, crossed arms. "Someone like me wasn't built for relationships."

Silence hung between them for a moment. Then Amethyst hugged her from the side, tight and comforting. She folded into it, eyes closed against tears.

"You're not like that, Pearl. I mean, we became friends, right?" She chuckled, voice thick. "If you managed to get over all your hangups about me, you can work yourself out. Even if it takes awhile."

Pearl sighed into her hair, sob breaking in her throat.

"Thanks."

They didn't last many more hours after that. Tipsy and tired, Talita eventually insisted on calling it a night— despite Amethyst's eager protests.

"I have work on Monday." She sighed, wobbling to the curb in her heels. "It was fun, Ames, but it's nearly midnight."

"Aww, spoilsport." She stuck out her tongue. "Me and Pearl are gonna have to tear this town up alone now."

"Or we might just go home and play boardgames." Pearl suggested instead.

They saw Talita to her cab with friendly waves and, from Amethyst, hurried attempts to make future plans. Just before she closed her door, she pulled something from her pocket and shoved it towards Pearl, smiling.

"Nice meeting you, E.T." Was all she said, before she pulled her door shut and the cab drove off.

Distractedly, Pearl shoved it into her gem. Amethyst was already running down the street, arms in the air.

"C'mon, P! Night's still young!"

Smiling to herself, she chased her down. She was right— they still had time to have fun. Tomorrow, they could deal with repercussions.

**ix. White Strip, "S. 301-555-0189"**

The night felt like it'd gone too fast. Driving home after the concert, Pearl was still floating on a high: She'd talked to a cute girl. She'd gotten her _phone number._ And she hadn't needed help, hadn't panicked, hadn't said something stupid— for the first time in so many centuries, she felt like she'd recaptured her mettle. Felt like something special.

"You killed it tonight." Amethyst whispered, nudging her knee with a grin. Steven was sleeping in the back seat, and she was trying not to wake him. "Serious props, P. You were totally off the chain!"

"Oh," she blushed, a confident smirk making its way onto her face, "well, you know..." she tried to come up with a witty one liner, but it escaped her. So she just shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Was not." Amethyst glanced into the back seat, pausing a moment before continuing. Sincerely, she added, "I know talking to people isn't easy for you. It was really cool of you to even come along." She looked into her eyes and beamed. "So thanks."

Pearl smiled back, warm and affectionate. "No, thank you. You helped me feel alive tonight."

She placed a hand on her knee. Amethyst snorted, pushing her off.

"Gross!"

They laughed together, then settled down into a comfortable silence. Outside the window, the sign for Ocean Town sped past; they were almost home.

**x. Text Message.**

Not long after the concert, things fell apart. First, Steven helped her reveal the truth about Rose, freeing her from a millennia-old burden of secrecy— which led to a lot of emotional turmoil for all of them, even causing Garnet to split up. Then, just as Ruby and Sapphire had gotten back together, as their wedding drew to a close and they'd all started to let their guards down, the _Diamonds_ fell out of the sky, and then they were fighting, and going to Homeworld, and fighting again, and somehow it all worked itself out but—

It was harrowing, to say the least. Pearl felt like it'd been the longest month of her life. She was just glad now to be sitting on the porch, sun setting beside her and gentle crashing of the sea intermingling with the concerto on her phone. Steven had shown her how to buy books on the digital storefront, and she was perfectly absorbed in one of the human classics when-

"Whatcha smiling at? Got a text from your girlfriend?" Amethyst teased, flopping down beside her and trying to glance at her phone.

Pearl rolled her eyes, not ill-humouredly. "Amethyst, I don't _have_ a girlfriend. I'm actually reading a book, believe it or not."

Amethyst grinned, opening her mouth— but then her face dropped.

"Wait, seriously? Things didn't work out with Mystery Girl?"

"Who?"

She slapped a hand to her face and moaned "The girl from the concert! _Please_ tell me you actually texted her!"

Pearl stared at her blankly, until it dawned on her.

"Oh stars," she muttered, hastily opening her messaging app, "I completely forgot- I didn't even have a phone back then-"

She drew her mind to her gem, calling out for a phone number. To her shock, nine slips of paper spat out, fluttering to the ground like confetti. Amethyst's eyes widened.

"Pearl, what the hell!?" Flicking through different pieces, she found one with love-hearts on it. "When did you get all these!?"

"I- I don't know." She said, flustered. Gathering each one up, though, and glancing at them, it was all coming back. All those women, all this time-

"Oh stars." She breathed. "They were all waiting for me to call them?"

"Peeaaarrllll..." Amethyst buried her face in her shoulder, groaning in agony. "You are the most oblivious person sometimes, I swear..."

"Well- What should I do?" She asked, frantic. "It's not too late to text them, right, I mean some of these are only two years old-"

"Look," she placed a hand on her own, "forget it."

Pearl stilled, eyes wide. Amethyst collected the remaining pieces.

"You know humans forget stuff super quickly, most of these people probably weren't even bummed you never called them." She wrinkled her nose at a card with a kiss-mark on it. "Oh my gosh, P."

"So should I just... get rid of these?" Said Pearl, glancing hesitantly down at her hands. Thumbing through the pile, she found Mystery Girl's note. "It's not too late for all of them, right?"

Amethyst caught where she was looking, and her face softened. Picking up the scrap between two fingers, she held it up in front of her face.

"It's not too late for her. Just send her a 'hey'. We can worry about the others later, alright?"

She held her hand out, cupped, and gingerly Pearl poured the scraps into her palm. Then, fingers trembling, she took S.'s note in one hand and activated her phone with the other.

"Alright."

Taking a deep breath, she opened a new message. Punched in her number, and before she could hesitate tapped out:

_Hello S.,_

_You might not remember me. My name is Pearl. We met at a concert about a month ago. I apologise for not getting to you sooner; It has been an incredibly hectic month. If you're still interested, I'd love to talk to you._

_From Pearl._

"Delete that last part." Amethyst muttered, gesturing to her screen. "No one signs off texts."

"Oh, okay. Is that better?"

She smiled up at her, and squeezed her in a one-armed hug.

"Perfection."

It was 4AM when S. finally replied. Pearl was scrubbing down the countertops, trying to free them of the sawdust that'd settled during rebuilding— when her phone buzzed she jumped, flicking it out into her hand and checking the screen with bated breath.

_hey pearl, its sheena. yeah i remember you ;) dont worry about the time thing, i was busy too. do you want to go out this friday?_

Her metaphorical heart leapt into her throat. Tossing down the sponge, she practically skipped out the door, grin on her face and phone clutched possessively to her chest.

"Amethyst! She texted me!"

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of a prologue to a MysteryPearl first date fic I’ll hopefully get around to finishing soon, so if you want to see more make sure to subscribe to this fic’s series :)  
Feedback is greatly appreciated!


End file.
